New This Summer: DRUMLine Marching Band Show at Dollywood
This summer, visitors to Dollywood will have the chance to see one of the nation’s most in-demand touring musical acts! From now until July 4, 2018, the Pigeon Forge theme park will host DRUMLine Live, a one-of-a-kind marching band show inspired by the popular movie Drumline. The DRUMLine troupe will perform three shows a day at DP’s Celebrity Theater for the duration of their residency at Dollywood. Read on to learn all about what to expect at DRUMLine’s thrilling concerts.
Watch a Sneak Peek of DRUMLine Live
DRUMLine Live is a high-energy 45-minute show featuring a full marching band, dancers, singers, and state-of-the-art sound, tech, and special effects.
Inspired by the Hit Movie
DRUMLine Live is the brainchild of Don P. Roberts, who served as the Executive Band Consultant for the 2002 film Drumline. Starring Nick Cannon, the hit movie tells the story of a young drummer from New York who joins the marching band at the fictional Atlanta A&T University. Drumline helped popularize the music and dancing that is often incorporated into halftime shows at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
As the top band consultant for Drumline, Roberts was responsible for training the actors, rehearsing the musicians, and writing the precision drills seen in the film. After the movie wrapped, Roberts created DRUMLine Live as a way to bring the HBCU marching band experience to the masses. The act has toured in the U.S. and internationally since 2009.
Comprised of around 40 talented musicians and dancers, the DRUMLine Live band is made up of HBCU alums and performers who were trained in HBCU-style high school marching bands. Brian Snell, the drum major and music director of the show, actually appeared in the movie Drumline!
From Beyonce to Dolly Parton
One of the thrills of watching DRUMLine Live is seeing the marching band interpret songs from a wide variety of musical styles. While the bulk of DRUMLine’s repertoire includes classic soul and R&B hits from the likes of Tina Turner, The Temptations, Diana Ross, and Michael Jackson, the band has also been known to cover modern tunes from Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar. In April of this year, DRUMLine performed with Beyonce for an HBCU-themed set at the California music festival Coachella.
For their residency at Dollywood, the marching band will pay homage to the Queen of Country with at least a song or two penned by Dolly Parton herself. We also wouldn’t be surprised if “Rocky Top,” the iconic fight song for the University of Tennessee, makes an appearance during the show!
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